Homeward Bound
by happy29
Summary: Fraser and Kowalski bring Liaison, Diefenbaker's puppy, to Chicago for a visit with Ray Vecchio and his family, but once there, problems ensue and Kowalski is left wondering. Fraser/ Kowalski, Vecchio/ Stella
1. Chicago Bound

Ray Kowalski slid the tickets back into the envelope and pushed it across the wooden table towards his partner. He looked up and met the bewildered blue eyes staring back at him.

"What?" Kowalski raised his eyebrows. "Maybe I don't want to go. Maybe I think he's trying too hard to be nice."

"Ray…" Fraser's smooth voice broke the tension that was building between the two men seated at the table. "He thinks very highly of you. You took care of his family and protected them like they were your own. If this is how he wants to thank you, let him."

"You'll come with me right?" Ray reached for the envelope again and pulled out the tickets and stared hard at them.

"Come to Chicago? Of course, I wouldn't let you go alone. But there are only two tickets in that envelope and I believe one of them is for Ray Vecchio and the other is for you." Fraser explained as he took his lover's hand into his own. "He doesn't bite, Ray."

"I know that you nit-wit… but why didn't he get a ticket for you too? I mean you had to put up with me as well. You know… you did him a favor too, by making nice with the new guy."

"Oh, I think I made more than nice with the new guy," Fraser winked at Ray and tugged on his hand. "Come on, let's get packing."

A smile tugged on the corner of Ray Vecchio's mouth when he spotted his friend and his partner step through the arrival gate at Chicago's O'Hare Airport. Benny still looked the same, complete with the brown Stetson adorning the top of his head. Vecchio let out a small chuckle at the man matching strides with his former partner. What his friend saw in the slender blonde man with unruly hair was beyond him. But, it was obvious there was an attraction that pulled the two men together as they bumped shoulders and hips and stole secret glances.

His heartbeat sped up in an instant when thoughts of what Kowalski had done to protect his identity rose to the surface. He owed this man a lot, even if he had trouble saying it to his face. He was more of a show them how much you appreciate them through gifts of appreciation rather than actual handshakes and hugs. He thought back to the case files he had read through while he was recovering from Vegas and learned Kowalski loved baseball, was even good enough to play for a minor league team in order to help with an investigation. He got the idea of taking him to a Chicago Cubs game in order to show him how much he appreciated what he had done for him and to give him a taste of _home_ he figured he was missing.

Benny had told him how well Ray was adapting to life in Canada when he visited several months back when he took home one of Dief's puppies. Vecchio thought that maybe Ray would like a trip back to Chicago to visit and what a better way to go about it than to invite him to a ball game. Benny had promised him Ray would come and true to his word, there he was, shoulder to shoulder with his friend.

At first, Ray's first impression of Kowalski was he wasn't overly impressed. But that quickly changed when he saw the amount of trust his Mountie partner had placed in the feisty detective. If Benny trusted him, he had to be a stand-up guy and he learned through others that Kowalski was just that. He had to give the man credit, he was good at his job.

He was anxious to see how the pup was fairing under Kowalski's care. Another smile broke out across his lips when he thought back to when he came across the Puppy Training book in a local bookstore. He told himself he just had to buy it and send it to Kowalski. At first it was to poke fun at the spiky haired blond, to keep their rivalry alive and well, but the longer it sat on his kitchen table and the more he got lecture after lecture from Stella about hurting Kowalski's feelings, he decided against sending it to mock the man. Then, Kowalski had started calling him with updates about the puppy and their friendship started to take off.

The first time Vecchio stepped on a puppy tooth, he cursed and hollered at Jefferson, like it was the pup's fault his tooth fell out. The second time, he yelled at Jefferson because he had eaten his slippers and Ray didn't have anything left to protect his feet, except socks and everyone knows how much protection they provide against sharp objects. The third time… well, he pulled the damn puppy training book off the table and started reading it himself.

Vecchio waved his hand in the air when he noticed Fraser scanning the crowd for a familiar face. He walked towards his friend and pulled him into a warm embrace.

"It's good to see you again, Benny." Ray held his hand out to Kowalski. "You too, Kowalski."

"What? I don't get a hug too?" Kowalski asked with a mock hurt expression plastered on his face.

Vecchio's face paled momentarily, unsure how to respond to the jab.

"I'm just messin', Vecchio. It's good to see you too." Ray shook Vecchio's hand and gave him a warm smile.

"So, do we need to pick up the mutts or do they have to spend the night in quarantine?" Vecchio questioned his two friends. "Gotta admit, I'm a little anxious to see how the little guy is doing."

"Little? He's not so little anymore, Ray." Fraser led the way to baggage claim and then to where the animals were held. "Liaison is growing quickly. He should be about the same size as Jefferson."

"I suppose that does make sense. Listen, Benny, when Kowalski and I are at the ball game tomorrow, promise me that you won't let the dogs tear my house apart. It's bad enough that Stella feeds Jefferson doughnuts…"

"She doesn't?" Kowalski asked in disbelief.

"Oh, _yes_ she does… even lets the thing sleep in bed with us. She has a soft spot that lady. Who knew?"

"I will do my best to not let your home fall into disrepair while you are away." Fraser draped an arm over his friend's shoulder. "It will be wonderful to stay with you and your family this week, Ray. Thank you for your hospitality."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Fraser. I don't recall agreeing to stay with Vecchio." Kowalski tugged hard on Fraser's elbow pulling him to a stop outside the revolving doors of the animal claim. "I thought we were staying at a hotel. What if we want to…" Ray wound his hand around the air, hoping Fraser would catch his drift. "You know…?"

"Don't worry, Kowalski. You and Benny will have all the privacy you can shake a stick at in the guest house out back." Vecchio assured his two friends. "I hired a contractor several months ago to have it fixed up for when you two come to visit."

"That was very kind of you, Ray." Fraser looked at his partner and smiled. "I'm sure we will be quite comfortable."

"Come on, Stella is ordering a deep dish pizza for you guys."

Fraser and Ray claimed Liaison and Diefenbaker and after wiping the wolf slobber off their faces, followed Vecchio to his waiting Riviera.

Kowalski slowed his steps as he approached the car and took in the city around him. Somehow, Chicago has lost some of its hominess. Fraser stepped close and placed a gentle hand on Ray's arm.

"Are you okay?" Fraser asked his partner, concern for his lover filling his voice.

Kowalski shrugged and stole a quick kiss from Fraser. "I'm okay. Just thought I would have missed it a bit more." He followed Dief and Liaison into the back seat of the Riv and pulled the seat back for Fraser. "You coming?"

"Of course." Fraser slid into the front seat and closed the door, silently wondering what was going through his Ray's head.


	2. Pizza and Fireflies

Ray Kowalski laid his head back against the seat of the green Riviera and closed his eyes. The multiple flights to Chicago had left him exhausted. Diefenbaker was attempting to lick the side of Ray Vecchio's face while Liaison had rested his head on Kowalski's lap and was seconds away from falling asleep. Fraser sat quietly in the front, trying to suppress the building chuckle inside of him at the sight of Vecchio trying to dislodge wolf slobber from the side of his face and inside of his ear.

"Benny, if it's one thing I _don't_ miss about you is that damn mutt of yours slobbering all over my car, not to mention my face and the wolf hair that is going to be all over the back seat." Vecchio turned his head towards his friend and gave him a warm smile. "But it is good to see you again, even Sleeping Beauty in the backseat."

Fraser turned his head to the faint snoring coming from Ray and Liaison. Ray had his hand resting across the pup's back, his fingers dug deep into the pup's fur as if he had fallen asleep while petting him. 'He looks good relaxed,' Fraser thought to himself. Turning his attention back to the front seat's occupant, Fraser took in his friend's appearance. Ray looked good as well.

"It's good to see you as well. It is very kind of you to offer us your guest house for the week."

"Well, I don't get to see you much anymore and I didn't want to waste a majority of your visit shuttling to and from a hotel." Vecchio shrugged his shoulders. "I think I can put up with Kowalski for a week." Vecchio glanced in the rearview mirror at Kowalski's sleeping form and smiled. "He's a good guy, Benny. I'm sorry I wasn't nicer to him when I got…" Vecchio's words were lost in the past for a brief moment. "You know, when I got back from undercover."

"No apologies necessary, Ray. He knew it wasn't easy for you. Your undercover assignment was far different from his. I think we all knew that you would need some time when you came back to adjust to your own life again." Fraser gave his friend's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "It's good to have you back."

Vecchio glanced out the side window at the passing scenery. "Yeah… it's good to be home."

Kowalski woke with a start with the slamming of the trunk. He heard Vecchio's muffled voice outside the car and assumed he was helping Fraser with their bags. He laid his head back on the seat and closed his eyes again. Liaison sat up and stretched, then licked the blonde's face.

"Ray, we're here. Diefenbaker, Liaison, let's go meet Jefferson." The two wolves stepped over Ray and jumped out into the evening air. They set about with noses to the ground, taking in all the new scents surrounding them. Fraser turned back to Ray, who had fallen back asleep. He shook his jean clad thigh and gave his knee a squeeze. "Ray, are you coming?"

"What?" Ray asked disorientated, opening his eyes wide. He sat up in the seat and stretched.

"I asked if you were coming. Ray has already gone inside. He said Stella has dinner waiting." Fraser stepped back as Ray disentangled himself from the backseat.

"Sorry, Ben, didn't mean to fall asleep." Ray leaned forward and caught Fraser's lips in a quick kiss. "Lead the way."

Fraser pulled Ray close and wrapped his arms around his waist. "You okay? If you're not comfortable here, we can get a hotel room. I should have asked first. Ray offered and I didn't want to offend him by declining his offer but then I didn't factor in Stella and how you might not be comfortable in…"

Ray placed a finger over Fraser's lips, quieting his lover. "Shut up, Fraser. It's fine. We've been over this dozens of times. I'm happy for them, just like I hope they're happy for us."

Gently removing Ray's finger from his lips, Fraser pulled him closer and leaned his forehead against Ray's. "_I'm_ happy for us," he whispered into the quiet space between them. "Come on, let's go have dinner with our friends."

Stella Vecchio opened the door wide for Fraser and Ray and gave each friend a warm hug.

"It's so nice to see you both again. I'm glad you brought Diefenbaker and Liaison with you. Jefferson drives Ray up the wall but I love the little guy." Stella winked at Ray and gave him a crooked grin. "I even let him have doughnuts. Ray thinks he just helps himself, he doesn't know that I help him… help himself."

"What he doesn't know won't kill him, huh?" Ray winked back.

"Come on, I ordered pizza for you guys. Thought you might like a taste of home, Ray. I ordered you extra pineapple."

"You're a gem, Stell. You know how hard it is to get good pizza up in the frozen north? Damn near impossible."

Stella led the two men towards the dining room. "Ray took your bags out to the guest house. I put fresh linens in there for you and changed all the bedding. Frannie and Turnbull were here a few weeks ago visiting. They are doing well. Frannie told us they're expecting this winter. She seems to have calmed Turnbull down a bit. He appears more grounded and not as…"

"Flighty?" Ray supplied the word Stella was hung up on.

"Ray…" Fraser scolded his partner.

"What? It's true, admit it, Turnbull used to get on your nerves too. You were just better at hiding it than the rest of us."

She laughed as she nodded in agreement. "Exactly."

"His thoughts did tend to be quite scattered I admit. But I in no way found him to be _annoying_." Fraser defended himself.

Ray rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say, Ben."

"I still can't believe Frannie settled on Turnbull after she was hung up on Fraser all those years." Vecchio slid the piping hot pizza onto the table with plates and napkins and took a seat next to his wife.

Stella swatted his arm. "Ray Vecchio that is your sister you are talking about. Frannie in no way _settled_ on Turnbull. He swept her off her feet and she fell in love with him. They are wonderful together."

"I find it hard to believe that Francesca would settle either. I'm sure there is something fascinating she has found in Constable Turnbull that the rest of us have overlooked. I would assume there is something in all of our relationships that others just don't understand. A love that others can't figure out or place and that's okay, because it is a love we share with our partner."

Stella held up her glass of wine and smiled at Fraser. "Well said, I agree with you. A toast… to the unique love we share with our partner."

"I second that," Kowalski raised his beer in the air and smiled affectionately at Fraser. "Okay, I've been waiting forever for pizza from home, let's eat." Ray took a plate and placed several pieces of pizza onto it. He took a bite and sighed with content. "God… _it's good to be home_. You can't get pizza like this in freezer land."

"We have pizza up north, Ray." Fraser looked at his two friends sitting across the table. "Okay, so maybe it isn't as good as what Ray is used to, but it's edible."

"Frase, there is no comparison. Did the long flight make you forget how good Chicago pizza is and how bad Canadian pizza is? Even the beer is better here."

"Then why do you order it if it's so bad?" Vecchio questioned.

"When you're desperate you take desperate measures." Kowalski answered, his mouth full of pineapple pizza. "This is like being in heaven. Thanks, Stell."

"You're welcome."

Fraser was quiet the remainder of dinner, slowly coming to the conclusion that Ray had become homesick during the last few months in Canada with him. Everyone swapped stories about what they had been up to since the last time they had all been together. The Rays traded stories about raising Diefenbaker's puppies, everyone shared a laugh over the loss of puppy teeth that had both Ray's freaking out in different countries.

After dinner, the friends retreated to the backyard so the pups could play. Diefenbaker was curled up at Fraser's feet, napping, after inspecting both his boys, Jefferson and Liaison. Ray and Ray were playing catch with Liaison and Jefferson.

Stella offered Fraser a cup of coffee. "You look like you could use something to keep you awake."

"Thank you kindly. It's been a long day." Fraser took a sip of the steaming coffee and watched as the pups chased the colored tennis balls thrown back and forth across the yard.

"What are your plans tomorrow while those two are bonding at the ball game?" Stella asked Fraser as she sipped her own coffee.

"I brought a book I've been meaning to read. And I promised Ray I would keep an eye on the dogs while they were gone. He has a sinking feeling they are going to tear your house apart or something." Fraser laughed and pointed to Liaison. "That one, you just need to worry about hiding the doughnuts or muffins."

"Our little Jefferson, oh my God, Ben, the first time he chewed one of Ray's slippers I thought I was going to have to find a new home for him. Ray was furious. Then he was getting ready for a meeting with his new boss for this federal job he took and he slipped his foot into one of his dress shoes, only to realize, Jefferson had chewed the tongue out of it." Stella cupped her hand over her mouth to hide the laughter that was escaping. She suddenly turned quiet, her thoughts taking her back into the past. "He was ready to load him into the car and take him to the animal shelter. That was the day Ray called with news about Liaison."

Fraser turned in his chair and watched Stella's expression change on her face as her gaze was fixated on her husband in the yard playing with their dog. "I remember Ray took the phone call, he had been so angry with Jefferson but then Ray starts thanking him for sending a puppy home with you and telling him what a good friend he was to you. My Ray realized that the puppies were helping him bond with your Ray. He's very grateful for what Ray did for him and his family while he was gone. That's what the tickets were for, to thank him. My Ray's not always the best with words."

Fraser shook his head in understanding. "I'm glad he made it home safely. It was very difficult to get used to the idea that I had to pretend Ray was Ray. They have such different personas."

"But in some ways, they are identical." Stella laughed as Jefferson jumped up, trying to catch a lightening bug in mid-air. "That crazy dog will eat anything."

Fraser turned his attention back to the darkened yard. Lightening bugs had emerged for the evening and yellow bursts of light were filling the backyard. A smile spread across his lips as Diefenbaker joined his pups in the yard and showed them the proper mechanics to catching fireflies. Vecchio and Stella retreated to the quiet of the house for the evening as Kowalski joined Fraser on the back porch.

"Look at the fireflies, Ben. Liaison has never seen them before. God I can't believe I miss lightening bugs. It's funny the things you don't think you will ever miss until they aren't there anymore."

"You miss bugs, Ray?" Fraser teased as he wound their fingers together.

"Look at them, they are so mystical, kind of enchanting. I used to catch them in a jar when I was a kid. My mom would give me tin foil and a rubber band to put over the top so they couldn't escape. I'd poke holes in the top with one of her sewing needles and then put it beside my bed when I went to sleep. You ever do that?"

"No, we didn't have any lightening bugs that far north."

"Right… you have the northern lights instead. Did you miss that when you came to Chicago?"

"I can't say that I ever really thought about it. I suppose when I went back home and saw them again, I did appreciate their beauty more than I had in the past." Fraser studied his partner's face. "Ray, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm okay. Just doing a little reminiscing." Ray leaned over and captured Fraser's lips in a lingering kiss. "Let's take the pups in and go to bed. Tomorrow's gonna be a long day. I've got a ball game with Vecchio and you get to doggy sit."

Diefenbaker and Liaison both barked at Ray.

"God, sorry… _wolf sit_. Happy now?"

Dief and Liaison both nudged Ray with their heads. He leaned over and rubbed them behind their ears. "Come on, Ben. Let's get a jar and catch some fireflies before we go to bed. You can pretend it's the northern lights and I can recapture my youth."

Fraser pulled Ray close as his lover drifted off to sleep. He stared at the flickering yellow lights in the jar beside their bed and wished he knew what was going on in Ray's head.


	3. Early Riser Gets the Doughnut

Fraser opened his eyes slowly and squinted against the bright sunlight filtering in through the bedroom window of the guesthouse. He yawned and turned over in the bed and was confused when he saw the empty space where Ray should have still been sleeping. He reached his hand out and felt the sheets beside him and realized they were cold. Ray had been up for some time.

"That's odd," Fraser stated to the empty air as he sat up, his warm blankets pooling around his waist. "Ray's never up before me. Diefenbaker…" Fraser called for the half-wolf only to be met with silence. "Liaison… What? Did you _all _leave me? Where the hell is everyone?" He slipped his legs over the edge of the bed and pulled on his discarded jeans from the night before.

Spotting the jar with the lightening bugs beside the bed, Fraser picked it up and examined it. The Mountie smiled at the memory of Ray running around the yard in the dark catching the flickering bugs in his hands and then bringing them to him, his hands closed loosely atop one another to contain the bug until he made it back to Fraser, to place in an old mayonnaise jar Stella had given them. It was now empty.

"Hmm, Ray must have let them go already this morning." Looking around the empty room, Fraser shook his head. "That's just fantastic, Ben… now you're talking to yourself. First you talk to your dead dad, now you talk to yourself." He pulled a clean shirt out of his bag and began to pull it over his head, as he headed for the living room of the guest house, in search of _someone._

"Don't worry about the Yank, son."

Fraser had his head halfway through his blue cotton t-shirt when he heard his father's voice. He startled and tripped over Ray's bag. Swallowing a curse, he landed ungracefully on the floor.

Bob Fraser winced as his son hit the floor. "Sorry about that, didn't mean to scare you. You always were kind of jumpy."

Fraser pulled his shirt the remainder of the way over his head and glared at his father's figure.

Bob Fraser was sitting comfortably in the leather recliner situated in the corner of the room. He was dressed in khaki pants and a red flannel shirt. A worn Stetson rested on his lap.

"He's just gone on a doughnut run to that pastry shop he likes across town." Bob carried on as Fraser picked himself up off the floor. "You know which one I mean, don't you? The one that used to give Diefenbaker his own doughnuts. You always liked the blackberry scones if I recall correctly. I'm sure the Yank will bring you back one."

"What are you doing here?" Fraser looked around the room. "I thought you were gone."

"Oh… I've been around, keeping an eye on you and that Yank you're so fond of." Bob Fraser looked his son over carefully. "Don't look at me like that son. I just thought maybe you were in need of some advice. Your mother sends her love by the way."

Fraser sank onto the bed and folded his arms defiantly. "What kind of advice? Your advice never did make much sense to me, not to mention ill-timed."

"Well, maybe you just never listened well enough. And as for my timing, well, I'm dead son. Time is kind of funny and unpredictable in the afterlife."

Fraser shook his head. "What do you want dad?"

"I told you, I thought maybe you could use some advice. The Yank seems to have a touch of homesickness," the elder Fraser replied calmly.

"For the hundredth time, his name is _Ray_." Irritation was clearly written across Fraser's forehead. "And Ray's not homesick."

"_Oh_… what would you call it then?" Bob asked. "You know as well as I do that he is missing his old life. Look at the way he took to that pizza last night and what was with the glowing bugs in the jar I saw? I'm dead and I can see it plain as day."

"What's your advice then if you can see things so plainly?" Fraser demanded to know.

"Don't take that tone with me, young man. Your Yank friend has some issues he needs to work out and I'm just worried you're going to get hurt in the process. It wouldn't be the first time it's happened to you."

Fraser stood up from the bed and walked up to his father's ghost. "I'm not ten anymore and you're _dead_. I'll take whatever tone I want with you. Ray and I are just fine."

"Are you sure about that? He seems… _unsettled_, son."

"Would you just go away? What do you know about relationships anyway? In all the time that I can remember mom being alive, you were never home with her for more than a few weeks at a time. And then you were gone for months. So, who the hell are _you_ to tell _me _that Ray is unsettled? What? You think he isn't happy with me?"

"Oh, I can't say about that, Son. And your mother's and my relationship worked just fine. I admit it wasn't what one would call conventional by any means, but then again… neither is yours. And if I might add, you're a little cranky this morning."

"How could it work?" Fraser asked his father exasperated. "You were never around for anything to go wrong or right. And I'm not_ cranky_."

"We'll just blame it on getting up on the wrong side of the bed. No wonder the Yank got up before you."

"Well at least we were in the same bed. More than I can say for you and mom. Whenever you came home, you were always out with the dogs."

"Is that what this is about? You think I was a terrible father?" Bob Fraser's expression was one of hurt.

"I'm not the one who brought that up. Those are your own issues."

"Fine, Benton. Have it your way… you always do."

"What is the matter with you?" Fraser threw his hands up in the air defeated. "You vanish and I don't see you for months on end and then out of the blue you show up and scare the hell out of me and pick a fight with me over Ray?"

"I'm not picking a fight, Benton. I just wanted to give you some advice is all."

"Okay fine, Dad. What's your great advice?" Fraser took a seat on the bed, folded his arms stiffly and waited impatiently for his father's advice.

Bob Fraser's ghost shook his head and stared hard at his son. "Well, I can't say that I remember with all this other non-sense you've been talking."

"Oh my God, you are unbelievable." The younger Fraser stood up and threw his hands in the air again. He glared at his father's figure as he walked past him, still seated in the leather recliner. "_Go away_…" he demanded.

Bob jumped at the slamming of the door. He stood up and walked to the window, his gaze falling on his son walking across the backyard of the Vecchio residence. "Choose your words carefully, Benton. Your Ray is in a difficult place. That's my advice." Bob Fraser's ghost turned and faded into the early morning.

Ray Vecchio spotted his friend walking across the back yard and opened the door for him. He handed Fraser a steaming cup of coffee and gave him an apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry, I told Kowalski to wait for you but he was so determined to get to the doughnut place early." Ray refilled his coffee and took a seat at the table with his friend. "He said they have the best assortment early in the morning, also said something about blackberry ones don't last long. Whatever that means. He took the mutts with him." Ray took in his friend's appearance. "Benny, you okay?"

Fraser scrubbed a hand over his face. He realized he hadn't even taking the time to shave this morning. "Yes, I'm fine. Thank you for the coffee. I was just concerned when I woke up and Ray was gone already. He's never up before me. It was an odd feeling."

"What happened to your cheek? Looks like you whacked it on something." Ray winced when he examined the quickly forming bruise more closely.

"That would have been the floor." He gingerly ran a finger over his left cheekbone that had connected with the floor when he stumbled over Ray's bag. "I tripped."

"You tripped?" Ray asked in disbelief. "Super Mountie tripped? Over what?"

"Well, it would appear that Ray felt his bag needed to be dropped in the middle of the floor. I was getting dressed and stumbled over it." Fraser kept the fact to himself that it was his father's ghost that had scared the hell out of him, causing the mishap in the first place.

"And you didn't see it?" Ray was no longer trying to hide his laughter.

"No… _I didn't see it_, not with my head stuck halfway through my shirt." Fraser rolled his eyes and ran his fingers over the cheekbone again. "Is it that bad?"

"Kowalski's gonna think you got sucker punched." Ray shrugged his shoulders and let out a laugh. "Ahhh, Benny, don't worry about it. I'm sure he will still think you look good."

"Thanks… I think." Fraser let out a laugh of his own, some of the tension from his earlier confrontation with his father's ghost leaving his body. "Where's Stella? And Jefferson?"

"Well, Jefferson chose to go with Kowalski. Good luck to him. Three doughnut hungry mutts cannot be easy to handle. And Stella has meetings all day. She left an hour ago." Ray gave Fraser the most serious look he could muster without breaking a smile. "When Kowalski and I leave for this ball game, please don't let the dogs destroy my house. Jefferson alone can chew his way through anything."

Fraser laughed at his friend's seriousness. "Ray, Diefenbaker is well past his chewing years and Liaison, with the exception of stealing the food off your plate, is well mannered. Well, there was that one time we came home and couldn't find the couch cushions."

"He ate your couch? Oh God, the house is doomed." Ray ran his hands over his balding head.

"Well, in a manner of speaking, he didn't eat the couch… just destroyed the cushions."

"Fraser, there are three of them… you think you can handle that?"

"They are dogs, Ray. It's not like they can tie me up or lock me in a room. If they get out of hand… _which they won't_… I will just put them out back in the fenced in yard. You and Ray enjoy your game and I will catch up on some reading." Fraser grinned at his friend. "I trust you will bring him back in one piece as well."

"Only if he behaves." Ray teased back.

The back door to the house opened and Kowalski held it wide open for the three dogs before entering himself. Each one had a doughnut dangling from his mouth. Jefferson took one look at Vecchio and quickly led the way to the guest room. Ray was carrying a pink box with a large variety of doughnuts. He set it down on the table as Vecchio offered him a fresh cup of coffee. He tossed him a snack sized packet of M&M's and shared a smile with Fraser.

"Benny told me you like a little coffee with your M&M's."

Kowalski took his cup of coffee and made his way to the side of the table where his lover was sitting. He placed his coffee down gently on the table, before stirring in his M&M's. Wrapping his arms around Fraser's shoulders, he leaned forward and kissed the back of Ben's neck. Fraser leaned into the kiss, the tension from earlier completely gone with his lover's touch.

"Good morning, Ben." Ray moved around the left side of Fraser and pulled out the seat.

"Morning, Ray. You're up earlier than…" Fraser was cut off by Kowalski's concerned voice.

"What the hell happened to your face?" Ray's slender fingers passed over the bruised skin. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I just tripped." Fraser explained for the second time that morning.

"Over what?"

Fraser turned his coffee cup in his hands. He didn't want to make a big deal out of stumbling. It was really his father's fault. If he wouldn't have scared him, he would have seen the hap-hazardly placed bag. "I was pulling on my shirt and walking and I tripped over your bag. I'm fine. No major damage done, except for maybe an exploded bottle of hair gel in your bag."

"God, I'm sorry. I was in a hurry to leave so I could get the best pick of doughnuts. Guess I wasn't thinking."

"It's fine, doesn't even hurt." Fraser told a half truth. It didn't hurt… _much_.

"I brought you a blackberry scone, if it makes you feel any better. Liaison thought it was for him. Had to practically pry it from his jaws."

Fraser wrinkled his nose and Vecchio mouthed 'Eww.'

"I'm not so sure I want to eat it if it's been in his mouth, Ray."

"You know what I mean. He will eat anything. I thought Dief was bad."

"You made Dief bad, Ray." Fraser semi-scolded his lover.

"No, no, _no_!" Kowalski shook his head in disagreement as Fraser inspected his scone before taking a bite. "Dief had sugar issues long before I came along. If it's anyone's fault, it's Vecchio's."

"How did I get pulled into this argument? Toss me a long john will you."

Kowalski slid the box of doughnuts towards Ray. "I'm just saying, Dief was swiping sugary treats and had his junk food fixation going long before I took your place. So, you can't blame it on me."

"Yes, but you intentionally feed him. He just stole Ray's food."

"Do you _see_ the way he looks at me? I swear he has taught Liaison the same look. Watch out Vecchio… he's gonna probably teach Jefferson a few things as well."

Vecchio drained his coffee and stared at his two friends. "What Dief doesn't teach him, I'm sure Stella will. She's can't say no to him." Glancing at his watch, he looked back to Kowalski. "We had better get going. You did bring the tickets with you, right?"

Rolling his eyes and pulling out his wallet, Kowalski revealed the two tickets tucked away for safe keeping. He handed them to Vecchio with a smirk crossing his face. "Thought I would forget them, didn't you?"

Taking the tickets into his hand, Vecchio looked them over and shrugged his shoulders. "I wouldn't have put it past you." He placed the tickets on the table and got up to place his coffee cup in the sink. "Let me grab my jacket and I'm ready."

Vecchio left his two friends in the kitchen alone, giving them a moment of privacy.

"You sure you're okay?" Kowalski had lowered his voice as he passed his fingers carefully over Fraser's bruised cheek. Leaning forward he captured Ben's soft lips in a kiss. "I'm sorry."

"I'm really okay. Just jumbled me up for a moment. I'll be okay," he reassured his lover.

Ray rubbed Fraser's thigh in soothing circles. "How about I unkink some of your jumbled up muscles when we get back tonight."

Ben smiled affectionately at Ray. "I think I would enjoy that very much."

Both men retreated to the guesthouse so Ray could get ready for his day with Vecchio.

With his book in hand and three sugared up half-wolves at his feet, Fraser waved goodbye to his two Rays. He looked at Dief and his two boys.

"Are we all going to behave today?"


	4. Cargument

The air in the green Riviera was thick with tension. Vecchio wanted Kowalski to know how much he had appreciated the job he had done being him while he was undercover in Vegas, but he just wasn't overly comfortable coming up with the right words. He played the conversation over and over in his head, what he could say, how Kowalski would react. Where was Benny when he needed him? Kowalski was busy wondering if Vecchio had a hidden agenda for taking him to the ball game.

After too many minutes of silence and cars rolling by, Kowalski broke the damn. Never one to remain quiet for too long, he began to fill the car with endless chatter. "You know, this was really nice of you. Taking me to a ball game, letting Ben and I stay with you this week. Thanks, we needed to get away for a few days." Ray looked at Vecchio and grinned. "And no… before you ask, Ben didn't make me say that to you."

Vecchio shrugged like it was nothing. "Figured you might need a break from the frozen north for a while."

"I have to tell you though, I almost didn't come." Kowalski voice grew more somber as he turned his gaze out the window, the city streets turnedg more congested as they drove closer to Wrigley Field.

Vecchio's head snapped to the side to face his friend. "What do you mean? Benny didn't force you did he? God, I told him if you didn't want to come it was fine. He made you come with me didn't he?"

"Would you shut up for two seconds? No… he didn't _force_ me to come. I had thought for his sake, you were just trying too hard to be nice to me. We didn't exactly hit it off when you came back, if you remember." Ray continued to stare out the window.

"No, can't say I cared too much for you." That revelation earned a glare from Kowalski. Vecchio held up his hand to silence the blonde detective. "Your turn to shut up." Kowalski bit back his snarky reply. "I realized how much Benny trusted you and it took me a while, I admit, but I finally realized what you had done to help protect me and my family. You didn't just do your job, you took on my life as if it were your own. And I think when I came back, I tried taking it back to quickly, instead of letting you adjust."

"You thought I was taking Fraser away from you, that's why you didn't like me. You didn't want to share him." Kowalski stated matter-of-fact.

"You did your job almost too well. I never expected whoever took my place to actually bond with my family or Benny. I just expected them to come in, and do my job. I guess I wasn't thinking about the whole aspect of _your_ undercover assignment." Vecchio clapped a hand on Kowalski's shoulder. "You did good, Ray… _real good_. And I appreciate you protecting my identity so I would have a life to come back to."

"So, is that what this is all about? Ballgames and a week away…your way of thanking me?"

"I'm not good with telling someone how much I appreciate them. It's easier for me to show them. So we have to enjoy a ball game together in order for me to do that. I can live with that. What about you?"

Kowalski turned to face his friend and nodded his head in understanding. "Yeah, I can handle that. And thanks I appreciate the effort… and you're welcome. I didn't expect to get a whole second family out of the deal either. Didn't expect to get a Mountie either."

"Yeah, I didn't expect you to get the Mountie either." Vecchio looked hurt for a brief moment but then shrugged it off and smiled at his new friend. "I suppose I kept Benny from home long enough."

"Yeah… he loves it up there. It's like he got a second wind. It's incredible to see him in his element."

"Ok, now that all that mushy stuff is said and done… what's new with you and Benny?"

"Not a whole lot since he was down a few months ago. Liaison is growing fast." Ray hid an embarrassed smile behind his slender hand. "And uh, thanks for the uh… the book. It has a lot of useful information in it."

"You know how mad Stella was at me for sending you that book?"

"I can hear her now telling you off." Kowalski laughed into the back of his hand. "I bet she went on for days."

"Well, she thought I was doing it to be spiteful and mean."

Kowalski rolled his eyes and glared at Vecchio, the corner of his mouth breaking into a smile. "It was wasn't it? At least at first?"

Dropping his head, Vecchio agreed. "Only at first…"

"It's alright, probably something I would have done too." Ray watched the traffic as it quickly became congested. "What's with the traffic all of a sudden?"

Vecchio slammed on the breaks of the green Riv, pulling it to a quick stop to avoid hitting the car in front of them. "That's a good question."

Ray braced himself by throwing his hands onto the dash. "A little warning next time, if it's not too much to ask." Kowalski straightened himself in his seat and stared out the windshield. "Think there's been an accident?" He looked at the cars stopping around them, effectively boxing them in.

"Great and now we're going to be stuck." Vecchio glanced at his watch. "I hope this clears up soon or we're going to miss the first pitch. Hell, with our luck, we'll miss the whole damn game." Ray threw his hands up in the air as Kowalski opened the door to get a better view. "You know… ever since I got the Mountie as a partner, this car has been cursed. Nobody better ding my doors, Kowalski."

"Would you shut up about your car?" Kowalski said with smirk and a glance over his shoulder as he slid out of his seat to get a better view. "I got him as a partner too and _my _car runs _just fine_. Maybe it's you who cursed it. We should have brought the Goat."

"That ugly hunk of junk? I don't think so."

"You dissin' the Goat?" Kowalski pulled a boxer's stance. "Cause I'll fight you if you are."

"Would you put your hands down? You're embarrassing yourself. Benny cursed my car, three Rivs, now this. He's not even sitting in it." Vecchio muttered to himself. "Hey, Kowalski," Ray yelled to the blonde. "If this one goes up in flames, I want you to be witness that Benny cursed my car."

"But he's nowhere near it… besides, why would it go up in flames? We're stuck in traffic. It's not like there's a bomb in it or something." Kowalski ducked his head back into the car. "There's not a bomb, is there?"

"No there's no bomb, you nit-wit. He doesn't have to be near it. _You are_… and since you two are attached or hooked up now or whatever the hell it is the two of you have going on… that's close enough to him being in it."

Kowalski snickered outside the car. He leaned up against the door frame and stretched. "Hey, if I remember from the reports, you're the one who shot the gas tank and blew up your own car."

"It was Benny's idea and _you _blew up my last one."

Ray held up his finger in protest. "Technically, I didn't blow it up. I just drove it into the lake."

"Like that's any better." Vecchio huffed at the memory of the loss of his beloved Rivs.

"Are we having a cargument?" Kowalski asked as he stood on his toes to see further into the distance. "Put two cops in a car… what do you get?"

"A cargument. We sound like an old married couple." Vecchio snorted as he shook his head and let out a long sigh. "What were we carguing about again?"

"Why we are stuck in your Riv and not my Goat?" Kowalski slid back into his seat and closed the door. "You ever think maybe it's the puke green color?"

"What I think is that car had a long and peaceful life before it got 'Mountied'."

"That so does not sound right…" Kowalski was trying to suppress the growing laughter.

"You got a one track mind, Kowalski." Vecchio glared from behind the wheel.

"Well, I got Mountied," the blonde replied with a crooked smile that earned a snarl from Vecchio. "Look, why'd you invite us down if you're so pissed with Ben?"

"I'm not pissed with Benny."

"So, what's all this crap about?" Ray waved his hands around the air indicating the car and all its memories.

"I…" Vecchio stopped before he started and thought. "I don't know."

Kowalski let out another huff of air. "And I thought _he_ kept things bottled up tight."

Vecchio stared out the side window rigidly, silence overtaking the former detective.

"What do you mean you don't know? You gotta have some idea what's bothering you." Ray stared hard and tried to read his friend's expression.

"All I wanted was to take you to a damn ball game… and now, now we're stuck in a car, in the middle of a traffic jam."

"This isn't about just taking me to a ball game is it?"

Vecchio turned his head and glared.

"Look, I get it… you miss him."

Ray turned when he felt Kowalski's reassuring squeeze on his shoulder. "I do… I miss him a lot. I wish you guys were living closer. Benny's one of the best people I know, one of the best friends I've ever had." He held out his hand in a friendly gesture of a peace offering handshake. "And once I gave you a fair chance, I saw you were a pretty good guy as well. Still, don't get what Benny sees in you as a _partner_…"

"Hey… I offer more than skin and bones. And you're not so bad yourself." Kowalski shook Ray's hand then slapped it away, playfully. "Looks like traffic's moving, we're going to make this game after all. What seats were we in again?"

Vecchio put the car in gear and began the slow inching forward process of moving again. "I'm not sure, look at the tickets."

"Give them here and I will." Ray held out his hand for the tickets as he fastened his seatbelt with the other.

"I don't have them, you do."

"_No_… you do. I took them out of my wallet this morning and handed them to you all because you didn't think I remembered to bring them."

"I laid them on the table when I went to get my jacket. You should have picked them up."

"Don't you know the rule man? The last one to touch is the one responsible for remembering to bring them." Kowalski rolled his eyes. "It's like the golden rule or something. Besides… I managed to get them several thousand miles, you couldn't manage a few feet?"

"Is that a Benny rule? Because it's stupid…"

"No sir, that there is a _Kowalski_ rule and don't ever let my mom hear you call one of her rules stupid." Kowalski poked a finger into Ray's upper arm defensively.

"Are we having a cargument again?" Holding his hand up in surrender, Vecchio crumpled defeated and laughed. "Sorry… no offense to your mother intended. Now what do we do?"

"Well, we can't exactly go back to the house. Ben will think we hate each other." Kowalski searched his brain for an alternative solution.

"We could find a bar and still catch the game. Benny will never know we didn't actually go to the game." Vecchio offered up the idea, a sly grin building on his lean face.

"You, my friend, are an evil genius." Kowalski pointed in the direction of the nearest sports bar. "You think you can get tickets to a Bear's game this fall?" he asked with a sideways glance.

"I think I can manage that, and we'll take the Goat." Vecchio offered a warm smile. "And I won't ask if you remembered the tickets."

"Now that's _buddies_, Vecchio."


	5. Revelations

The slow steady clicking of toenails on the hardwood floor caused Fraser to peer over the top of his book. He scanned the living room and saw no signs of any of the dogs. He went back to reading Ross MacDonald's 'The Underground Man', a gift from his Ray for his last birthday. Ray knew he loved a good mystery. He was well into the third chapter when he heard the clicking of nails again. Setting the book into his lap and taking off his reading glasses, Fraser called for Diefenbaker.

"Diefenbaker… what are you three getting into?"

His question was met with the sounds of quick movement coming from the kitchen. A wooden chair bumped against the table, a cardboard box hit the floor, and three half-wolves knocked a curious Benton Fraser to the floor making their get-away. He lay on his back, staring up at the ceiling trying to catch his breath, the wind momentarily knocked out of him. Liaison returned and licked a trail up Fraser's bruised cheek. Sugar dusted his whiskers and fell onto Fraser's face. Liaison was joined by Jefferson who promptly licked the fallen sugar particles off Fraser's wet skin.

Fraser pushed the two pups to the side and sat up against the entry way to the kitchen. He scanned the floor, his eyes falling on the empty doughnut box from earlier that morning.

"There were a dozen doughnuts left in that box. Please tell me you didn't eat them all." Liaison let out a short yip and turned a circle. "Well, no wonder. I would need to go out as well if I just scarfed down a dozen doughnuts. Did you at least _share_?" Jefferson nudged Fraser's knee and turned his own circle. "Well, I'm glad to see you were taught _some_ manners. You do realize that Ray is not going to be very happy with you." Two yips and both pups bolted for the back door. Fraser picked himself up off the floor and followed the pups. "And where was papa wolf, huh?" Diefenbaker came up from behind and matched paces with Fraser as he stepped into the backyard. "You were guarding the door, were you? Why can't you teach them useful things? You're a wolf for God's sake." Fraser sat on the steps to the back porch leading into the yard and his companion sat down beside. Dief licked Fraser's cheek and the Mountie melted. "How about you teach them self-control? You know… one doughnut versus twelve. Or maybe you should go teach them to eat some grass to help settle their stomachs. It has folic acid, you know, to aid in digestion. Lord knows you've had to eat plenty of it during our time here in Chicago."

Dief looked over towards Fraser and cocked his head as if to ask, "Why don't you eat grass?"

"Don't give me that look. You know why I don't eat it. I don't eat a dozen doughnuts at a time. You don't think I knew what you were up to after you ate half the pizza while I was helping the neighbor lady fix her broken light bulb shortly after we first arrived. Once I returned, you took off down the fire escape like the house was on fire. Uh huh… you just thought you had me fooled."

Dief laid his head down on the wooden porch and covered his snout with his paw.

"I'd be embarrassed too. Mind you, Ray Vecchio ate the other half of the pizza while I was gone. You two could have at least saved me one piece. I should make you clean up the mess in the kitchen."

Dief barked sharply at Fraser's suggestion.

"Fine, I will clean it up and you can explain to our good friend Ray Vecchio why your two boys have vomited all over his back yard."

The pups ran around the yard, chasing each other, as Fraser and Diefenbaker settled into lounge chairs on the porch and watched their playful antics. After twenty minutes of resting, Diefenbaker got up from his chair and followed the pups into yard. He nudged each one and then took a few bites at the longer grass around the bird feeder. He stole a glance at Fraser before nudging each pup to follow his lead.

Fraser beamed proudly at Dief. The half-wolf had come a long way since they had first arrived and then left Chicago.

Kowalski slid his lean frame onto a bar stool and signaled the bartender. "Hey, Ray, how do you think Ben is doing with all three doughnut thieving half-wolves?"

Vecchio's eyebrows went towards his receding hairline for a brief moment. "Let's see… you fed them doughnuts for breakfast, so they are probably hyped up and running all over my house, knocking over furniture and breaking the glass vases Stella has stashed on those corner end table things. We'll get back there and there will be dog fur over everything and Fraser will probably be locked in a closet."

"Really? You think that bad huh? Come on give him a little credit, Dief listens to him. At least one out of three will behave." Ray ordered their beers and pulled out his wallet to pay.

"Dief is deaf… or did the cold make your brain forget that little fact." Vecchio interjected. "He doesn't listen to anyone but the doughnut gods or the pizza kings, unless moving back to Canada miraculously cured him." He pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and began to open it.

"No… he still swipes them when I don't offer them freely." He held his hand out over Vecchio's wallet and pushed it closed with his fingers. "Hey, put your wallet away. You bought the tickets, I got the beers. Least I can do. Go find us a booth."

Kowalski opened his own wallet and removed a few bills, handing them to the bartender. He stared at the screen above the bar and noted the game was about to begin. "Hey look, we haven't missed any of the game yet. Our day's looking up."

The bartender stared at the bills and handed them back, shaking his head with a crooked smile. "Sorry, we don't take funny money. American bills only."

Ray dropped his head and let out a curse. "Shit… I'll be right back." He found Ray towards the back of the bar, a perfect view of their upcoming game on the TV overhead. "I uh… I uh forgot my wallet."

Vecchio wrinkled his eyebrows in confusion. "You're holding it in your hand."

Embarrassed, Kowalski bobbed his head from side to side. "No… my _other_ wallet, the one with American money. I forgot to switch them when we left the house. All I got is Canadian money and your local bartender doesn't want my funny money. Go figure. Sorry man."

Vecchio laughed freely. "You seriously have an American wallet?" He slid out of the booth and clapped Kowalski on the shoulder. "This is what I get for forgetting the tickets huh? Well, you can get the beers for the Bear's game." Still laughing, he headed to the bar to pay.

Kowalski turned towards Vecchio's retreating form. "Ahh ha! See you admit that _you_ forgot them." He slid into the booth and ran his hands through his hair.

Vecchio returned and handed Kowalski his beer. "Let's not go there. Did you know that Frannie wanted me to keep Ante for her while she and Turnbull were traveling? She knew you guys were coming and I think she was secretly hoping she would get more Diefen-poodles out of the deal. She wanted to give Turnbull one of the pups but they were all spoken for by the time she finally decided on it."

"That's all we need is more puppies to chew through everything. I'm running out of stuff for Liaison to eat." Kowalski took a long swig of beer. "Ahhh… nothing beats the beer your familiar with. This is perfect. Thanks."

Vecchio studied his friend's features. He had relaxed a lot more since first stepping off the airplane from Canada. "So, you and Benny are doing well up there? You're keeping each other in line?"

Kowalski smiled at the mention of Ben's name. "Yeah, we're doing really well. And it's not like Fraser ever gets out of line and needs to be put back. He's all 'Mr. Straight and Narrow' most days." Ray laughed into his beer bottle as he began to take a sip. "Although, there was that one time I got him drunk and he was way passed the 'Straight and Narrow'."

"You got Benny drunk? How the hell did you manage that?" Vecchio stared in disbelief at his friend while shaking his head. In all the time he had known Fraser the hardest thing he ever saw him drink was the coffee at the 2-7.

"I had gone to some conference with him in Toronto and I discovered this apple cider beer. I thought, 'Hey, Ben likes apple cider. Let's try it.' I bought some and took it back home with us." Ray smiled at the memory of Fraser getting tipsy and then drunk. "I poured some in a glass that night for him when we ate dinner and he asked for more, so I gave him another and then another. Doesn't taste like alcohol at all. He had a shitty day with the Ice Queen barking orders over the phone and I thought he needed to relax." He winked at his friend across the booth. "And boy did it relax him…"

Vecchio held up a hand and looked down at the table, forcing images out of his head. "Stop right there. I don't want details."

Ray slapped the hand out of the air and glared with mischievous eyes. "I wasn't going to give you details… _I'm _in those details. You think I'm stupid?" He sank back into his side of the booth, a smug smile pulling at his lips. "He is a fun drunk though." Kowalski winked and drained his beer. "It's called 'Woodchuck' beer. Hey… how much wood could a would chuck chuck, if a wood chuck could chuck beer… I mean wood?"

"Oh God… I've been scarred for life." He dropped he head into both his hands and squeezed his eyes shut against the onslaught of images. "Think Stella… think Stella… think Stella…" Green eyes met blue in a fit of laughter. "I hate you, Kowalski."

"Ahh… no you don't. Who else would you buy tickets for for a Cubbies' game and end up watching the game in a bar because _you _forgot the tickets at home and I forgot my American wallet so you end up with tickets that won't be used and you still have to buy the drinks?"

"And don't forget Benny cursed my car…"

"Seriously, we are back to your car?" Kowalski's eyes lit up with a light bulb of an idea. "Hey, I should go get the GOAT tomorrow. Drive it around for a few days, maybe take a drive up the shore." The blonde sank further into his booth and shrugged his shoulders when Vecchio eyed him curiously. "What? So I miss my car, big deal."

"Do you ever miss Chicago?" Vecchio inquired with a tip of his own beer bottle. He drained it and signaled the bartender for another round. "Hey, you think we should order some food too? Nachos and wings?"

Kowalski was picking at the label of his brown bottle as he thought about Vecchio's question. "Miss it? What's there to miss? Smog, too many bad guys to keep track of, rotten hours… nah, I don't miss _any_ of that. You want to know what I _do_ miss?" He leaned forward across the table as if to dispel a secret. He was met mid-table by Vecchio's balding head and curious green eyes.

"Pineapple pizza?" Vecchio replied with a smirk.

"No… well, yes I do miss good pizza. No, what I _really _miss is chasing Ben over roof tops, chasing after him up rickety ladders."

"You miss Benny getting himself into dangerous situations all day long?"

"Not really that, just the _action _of being a cop. I miss working alongside him, figuring things out. We made a good team, a 'duet' is what we were. Things are so different up there. Don't get me wrong… they're good and _we're_ good, beyond good, we're great… it's just _different_."

"You're not regretting giving up your life here and moving up there are you? You know Benny would have stayed here for you."

"I know that. He'd give up anything for me. No, I don't regret it. I just feel… I don't know, maybe a little lost up there."

"What is it you do? I mean you have a job up there, right?" Vecchio asked, not really sure what Kowalski did with his days while Benny was pulling Mountie duties.

"We live so simply that I really don't need a job. I do odds and ends for people in the community. It seems my mechanical skills have been a much needed resource for some time. That's why I didn't come down with Ben this spring. I got hit with everyone's garden tillers that needed repaired or serviced. There's never a moments peace to be had, someone always needs something fixed."

"God, what did they do before you came along?"

"From what Ben says… they struggled best they could." Ray cracked his neck and took a long swallow of beer as the waitress set their food in the middle of the table top. He gave her a quick nod. "Thank you kindly."

Vecchio snorted. "Yeah, Benny isn't rubbing off on you at all…"

"Grow up, Vecchio. It only takes a second…"

"To be courteous… yeah, yeah, yeah, I got the memo a few years back. Anyway, about the locals taking advantage of you."

"It not that I really mind all that much. I mean it gives me something to do. I'm good at it, but it's not what I'm great at… _you know_. I miss what I'm great at. I miss solving crimes and figuring things out. I miss working with Ben. They've got some stupid rule up there that he hasn't found a way around yet that will let me help him out occasionally. You know, let me liaison. And you know Fraser…" Ray stared at the television with the forgotten game above their heads.

"Never one to bend the rules, let alone break them…" Vecchio nodded in understanding. "That's our Benny."

"_Exactly_. I just feel like I've lost the best part of myself when I crossed the border and I'm not sure how to get it back." Kowalski drained his beer and set the bottle on the table. "But God… you should see him up there in his element. So relaxed. How can I ask him to give that up? He'd already lost it for so long."

"You're homesick, aren't you?" Vecchio asked as he drained his own beer.

Kowalski shrugged. "I don't know. I know when I stepped off that plane, things felt different. Like I was disconnected from myself. Then Stella had pizza and I saw the lightening bugs…" Kowalski's voice tapered off and he grew silent. He took in the sights and sounds engulfing him in the crowed bar. "Maybe I am. Just don't tell Ben, okay? He'll freak and worry and it will ruin our week here."

Vecchio put his fingers up to his closed lips and turned them, then threw the imaginary key over his shoulder. "My lips are sealed."

Diefenbaker walked slowly into the living room, keeping his gaze fixed on Fraser. His steps were slow and steady, unlike the footfalls of his offspring that were darting from the kitchen. He stole a glance in the direction of his children and gave a quick nod as they disappeared into the guest room. He approached the couch where his master was stretched out reading his book. Fraser glanced to the side and his hand instinctively fell into Dief's scruff. The half-wolf settled on the floor beside him, sresting his head on Fraser's thigh.

"What have they been into this time?" Fraser asked without taking his eyes off the page.

"I wouldn't go into the kitchen for a while, Son. Those dogs are sneaky. Stole the steaks right out of the refrigerator." Bob Fraser's voice broke through the silent room. "The Yank's going to be upset with you."

Fraser snapped his book shut and stared at his father. "I thought I asked you to go away."

"Oh you did. But I thought it only fair I get to spend some time with my grandkids." Bob smiled and pulled a yellow tennis ball from his pocket. He bounced it on the floor once and caught it in his steady hand. Dief's head shot up at the sight of the ball. The clattering of fast approaching claws startled Fraser when the two pups jumped over the back of the couch into his lap. Liaison and Jefferson jumped at Bob as he held the ball high in the air and then threw it in the direction of the guest room.

"Not in the house… are you insane?" Fraser dragged his father by the arm into the back yard, followed by the three canines. Jefferson dropped the ball in front of Bob and backed up waiting to chase after it again.

"Well, some may think I am insane. But really, I'm dead so what does it matter anymore?"

"Do you do this to torment me? And grandkids? They are dogs, Dad." Diefenbaker barked sharply in protest. "Sorry, half-wolves."

"Well, it doesn't look like you and the Yank are going to get me grandkids any time soon, so I guess I will make do and pretend these are my grandkids. No need to spoil my fun." Bob picked up the ball and threw it towards the far end of the yard. The pups chased after it quickly and Dief sprang to life and dashed after them.

"For the last time, his name's Ray." Annoyed with his father's ghost, Fraser turned and went to clean up the kitchen from the steaks being devoured on the floor. Bob shrugged his shoulders and continued the game of catch with his 'grandkids'.

A handful of peanuts hit the overhead TV as a string of curses left Kowalski's mouth. "That was the lousiest play I've ever seen. You need a new pitcher!"

Vecchio raised his beer bottle in agreement. Both Rays were about two beers past tipsy. They had been at the bar for the better part of the day. The Cub's game was a bust, lost by three runs, and the current game was a joke. Kowalski threw another handful of peanuts at the screen. "Even I can play better than that." He cracked the shell on one of the peanuts and popped it into his mouth. He stared at Vecchio and began laughing uncontrollably, spitting bits of nut onto the table top.

"Ewww gross! What's the matter with you? I thought the mutt's were disgusting when they slobber everywhere, but you have them beat hands down." Vecchio took a napkin and cleaned the peanut remnants from the table top.

"Sorry…" Kowalski apologized through drunken snorts of laughter. "I just pictured our dogs carrying on their own conversation. Two long lost siblings from completely different backgrounds finally meet for the first time after… well, in this case, months."

Vecchio snorted in response to the image. In his best Italian dog voice he replied. "Yo Bro!"

Kowalski danced his eyes back and forth trying to work up a Canadian accent for Liaison. "Bro…" It came out sounding all Chicago.

"You need to work on the accent, Kowalski." Vecchio snorted into his newest beer, continuing. "What's it like in Canada?"

"Cold. I chase rabbits and swipe muffins. What about you? You like Chicago?" Kowalski cocked his head to the side waiting for a reply.

"I eat doughnuts and pizza. Chase squirrels. Dude, we got it good."

"So, Jeffy… can I call you Jeffy? Cause… Jefferson is just way too long. What are your humans like?" Kowalski broke out in laughter and signaled the waitress for another round.

"Well, you see, the beta's grumpy, at least he _pretends_ to be. But the alpha… she makes him happy. I like her a lot. Feeds me the good stuff when the other one's not looking." Vecchio rolled his eyes and slipped out of character. "Stella has him so spoiled." With the clink of his beer cap bouncing off the table, he was Jefferson again. "What about yours?"

"Well, Big Red… all straight and narrow with him. Follows all the rules, although on rare occasions, he lets me sleep in the bedroom but never on the bed. And the spikey blonde one… he's my favorite…" Kowalski winked at Vecchio when he rolled his eyes. "He lets me eat all the bran muffins I want."

"What about Dad? You're so lucky to have him with you." Vecchio's voice was full of Jefferson envy.

"He's the best teacher. You don't think he's teaching you… but he is. Taught me how to sneak doughnuts out from under their noses. The blonde one lets me get away with it when Big Red isn't around."

"Mom's like that too, when I get to see her. She's off with Aunt Frannie and that funny Turnbull, but visits on occasion. Taught me how to look innocent and yearning at my beta, so he'll give me anything I want. Works most of the time." Vecchio snorted at the sheer stupidity of what he was partaking in, but rallied on. "So, I got my eye on a cute labrador down the block… I catch her out in her yard when out on my evening walks. What about you? You got anyone interested in you up north?"

"Nah… we live in the middle of nowhere. Not too many neighbors…" Kowalski sat back in his seat and he lost his train of thought momentarily. Reality hit him hard. He was homesick and he didn't know how to tell Ben. Trying not to worry his friend, he slipped back into Liaison character mode and continued with a small smile and quieter voice. "But… there's a cute wolf pup I saw the other day. Just have to get…" Kowalski grew silent as he stared over his friend's shoulder into the booth behind him. "… the dad's approval first."

Bob Fraser stared hard at the man in love with his son. "You and I need to have a talk."


	6. Fireflies

Ray Kowalski stared at the ghost of Ben's father and blinked his drunken eyes profusely. Was Bob Fraser really sitting in the booth behind them or was his drunken brain playing tricks on him? He rubbed two fists into his eyes and looked again. Bob's gaze never faltered.

'I should have stopped about two beers ago,' he told himself. He eyed Vecchio and looked over the man's shoulder again. "I'm uh… I'm gonna go use the can. I'll be right back." Ray threw a thumb over his right shoulder in the direction of the men's room. He decided if Bob was still sitting there, glaring at him when he came back, he was going to tell Vecchio he was sick and needed to leave… _like yesterday_.

Vecchio eyed him suspiciously then stole a glance over his shoulder in the direction Kowalski had been looking when his demeanor had suddenly changed. All he saw was a middle aged man with a backwards ball cap hitting on the curvy waitress. His gaze followed Kowalski's quickly retreating form to the men's room.

'Maybe he's sick,' he thought to himself. They really hadn't had all that much to eat while they had been drinking. And the nachos and wings they had ordered a few hours ago may not have been mixing well with the quickly accumulating beers in Kowalski's stomach. He pulled out his cell and decided a call to Stella was in order. He and Ray had been gone much longer than originally anticipated. They had spent the first part of their day stuck in traffic and the last part losing track of time in a bar, tipping back beer bottles.

Neither Ray drank excessively, but today was one of those days where you just let it all go, let your hair down, not that Vecchio had any hair _to_ let down, and get to know your buddy better. He hadn't realized in all the times he had talked to Ray over the phone that Kowalski had become homesick. He always sounded like he was settled in good with Fraser up north.

He glanced at his watch and noted that it was just after seven. 'Hell, where has the day gone?' he wondered to himself. He punched Stella's number into his cell and caught his wife on the third ring.

"Ray, honey how has your day been? Ben and I were expecting you two a few hours ago."

Ray squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed them, forcing his brain to function properly. "Yeah, sorry about that." He glanced at his watch again. Where had the day gone? "Ray and I kind of lost track of time. We've been sitting in this bar for the better part of the day just talking." Ray began to giggle at the thought of him and Kowalski taking on the personas of their respected dogs.

"Ray…" Stella began with a set firmness to her voice. "Are you drunk?"

"Maybe one bottle past tipsy." He stared hard at the labels Kowalski had peeled off his beer bottles and accumulated in a pile on the table. "Or maybe_ two_ bottles past tipsy."

"You're drunk." Stella wasn't stupid and caught on quickly to her husband's words running into one another. "What about Ray? What kind of shape is he in?" Stella asked concerned and a wave of jealousy flashed through Vecchio.

"He's visiting the john at the moment. Listen, one more drink and we are heading home. Is Benny upset?"

"You will be calling a cab, right?" Stella demanded to know, ignoring his question.

"Of course. Kowalski just called one to take him to the john." Vecchio laughed at his own joke. It probably wasn't a bad idea to head home soon or tomorrow was going to be spent leaning over the porcelain throne. "Is Benny upset with us?"

"No, but he has wondered what the two of you have been doing all day since he found the tickets to the game under the box of doughnuts this morning. You might want to warn Ray that the dogs ate them all." Stella snickered into the phone. "He's not going to be very happy that they pulled one over on Ben."

"I'll grab Kowalski and we'll grab a cab and head home. There are steaks in the fridge we can make for dinner." Vecchio's stomach grumbled at the mention of food and began the slow process of trying to eat itself.

"Yeah…" Stella began slowly. "About the steaks, seems the dogs got the better of Ben on that one too."

"What?" Vecchio practically yelled into the phone. He lowered his voice when some bar patrons sent glaring daggers his way. "How the hell did they do that?"

"I'm not sure. Ben was apologetic and wanted me to run him to the store to replace them. I told him it was fine, not a big deal. We would just do burgers later instead if and when the two of you ever showed up." Stella wound the phone cord around her fingers. "You know, they are only here for a few more days, Ray. I don't want you and Ray to spend all of tomorrow hung over. Come on home, love, so we can spend some quality time together with the two of them tomorrow when you two sober up."

"What about tonight? We can catch a late movie. We haven't been to the movies in ages."

"Is that the sober side of your brain thinking? You and Ray are both going to pass out the second you walk in the door and you know it. Besides, I've had a long day at work and Ben wasn't feeling well, so he went to lie down. He's got a nasty looking bruise on his cheek. What happened to him?"

"He tripped this morning over Kowalski's bag and hit his face on the floor. He okay?" Vecchio signaled the waitress for some water for both him and Kowalski.

"I think he will be fine. He seemed a bit stressed when I got home. I assume it had to do with the dogs misbehaving. He was cleaning up one of those vases I had on a corner shelf that my aunt sent us for a wedding gift. It was shattered into hundreds of pieces. I don't think he had a very good day."

"That horrid orange one with the green slivers of color in it?" Vecchio's brain to mouth filter was shut off due to the alcohol and he palm slapped his forehead.

"It's okay, I didn't necessarily like it either. He said the dogs were chasing after balls in the house and Jefferson lost his footing and slid into Liaison and it was a chain reaction. They slid into the corner and took out the vase." Stella scratched her head and started the coffee pot and added an extra scoop of coffee to add to the strength. Both Rays were going to need a strong cup of coffee later. "Ben doesn't seem like the type to throw balls in the house though so I was a little confused. When I came in, he was muttering something about respecting other people's space and not throwing balls in the house."

"Huh, well if the dogs figured out how to break into the fridge, maybe they figured out how to throw a ball as well." Seemed logical enough to Ray. He spotted Kowalski emerging from the men's room. His color appeared better than when he suddenly left the booth about fifteen minutes before. "We should be home within the hour. Have you and Benny eaten? We can make those burgers you were talking about."

"We already ate, sorry. After he told me about the steaks, I ordered Chinese to cheer us both up. I had a rough day and from the looks of him, he did too. About an hour ago, he said he wasn't feeling well, so he went to lie down. I hope it wasn't food poisoning. We ordered different things, so I suppose it could have been. Maybe it's just a headache. He was looking a little peekid." She noted with a touch of concern. "Okay, you two be careful and I will see you in a bit." She ended the call with her husband and poured water into the coffee pot, getting it ready for when the Rays returned.

Kowalski slowly approached the booth and took a quick glance over Vecchio's shoulder. He sighed in relief when all he saw was the middle aged guy with the backwards ball cap. For a few brief moments, well fifteen minutes of freaking out in a stall in the men's room, he thought he had seen a ghost and not just any ghost. Bob Fraser's ghost. And what would Bob want to talk to him about anyway? He shivered at the thought of an actual conversation with Bob and laughed and the unrealistic nature of carrying on a conversation with a ghost. 'It's gotta be the alcohol,' he kept telling himself.

"You okay?" Vecchio asked him as he slid into the booth and pushed his half-empty beer bottle towards the center of the table.

"Yeah, I'm good. Nachos weren't sitting well. All better now." Kowalski told a partial truth. "Listen, you mind if we get out of here?" He had a sudden urge to see Fraser. To hold him, to breathe in his scent, to lay his hands on him and be one with him.

"Yeah, I think that's a good idea." Vecchio slid out of the booth and held onto the table firmly with both hands to settle himself. "We need a cab buddy. Ain't no way in hell either one of us is wrapping _my car_ around a tree trying to make it home. Benny and Stella will kill us if the tree doesn't do it first."

"We're back to your fucking car _again_?" Kowalski laughed as the explicative rolled easily off his tongue. "You just don't want me to puke and add to the ugly color."

"No, I don't want to puke and add to the ugly color. I'd rather puke in a cab than my own car. That way, I don't have to clean it up and if we don't hurry up and get out of here, that may just happen."

"So…" Kowalski took two sideways steps toward the front of the bar, "You admit your car's an ugly color then?" He clapped Vecchio on the shoulder and received a slap to the back of the head. A slender arm settled over his shoulder and pulled him close as the two friends exited the bar and flagged down a cab.

"We are not having a _cargument_ again are we? Because we all know whose car is better and by the way…" Vecchio pulled Kowalski close and whispered into his ear as if he had a secret to share. "…the wolves ate all your doughnuts."

"_They what? _I'm gonna throttle Fraser the moment I lay eyes on him." Kowalski tripped sliding into the cab and straightened himself in the seat, making room for his friend. "You were right, he couldn't handle all of them."

"Ah, don't be so hard on the guy. Stella said he's had a rough day."

"It's going to be even rougher once I get my hands on him. You know how long I've waited for those doughnuts? Too damn long…" The blonde's words were slurring together and Vecchio laughed.

"Would you just shut the hell up and chill. Go get more tomorrow."

Kowalski's eyes sprang to life. "You are a genius my friend. Why didn't I think of that?"

"Because you're drunk and I'm only partly past tipsy. My brain thinks clearer than yours right now." Vecchio patted Kowalski's thigh. "It's okay… I won't hold it against you."

The cab pulled up out the Vecchio home and Ray handed the driver and few bills to cover their fare. He helped a half asleep Kowalski out of the back seat and towards the guest house.

Ray hesitated before opening the door and turned to face his friend. "Thanks for today, man. It meant a lot to me. And don't say anything to Ben… you know about all the things I miss."

"What are buddies for?"

Kowalski took a step off the porch and pulled his friend into a warm embrace. "Thank you. I'll get the beers next time." He patted his friend's cheek in a friendly gesture and turned to head into the guest house.

"Hey, I'm not so sure those two will let us go drinking together anymore." Vecchio yelled to his back.

"Probably not a bad idea…" Kowalski threw over his shoulder and then stopped and turned around, a crooked grin dancing on his lips. "But we'll go anyway, right?"

"Course we will. It will be out little tradition when you come to visit. You and I get one day together. Hey Ray…" Vecchio began with a mischievous grin. "What do you get when two Ray's walk into a bar?"

"A pissed off Mountie?" Kowalski supplied a quick answer and an even bigger lopsided grin.

"Nah… you get two friends who become better buddies. See you in the morning."

"Night." Kowalski waved a hand in the air and disappeared behind the doors of the guest house.

Ray quietly made his way through the darkened guesthouse in search of Ben. The only light that illuminated his way was the one turned on over the kitchen sink. Both half-wolves were asleep on the couch and only Liaison lifted his head to investigate. He was stunned to find Ben asleep in the bedroom, the blankets pulled back and covered with only a light sheet. He settled on to the edge of the bed and watched the steady rise and fall of his partner's chest. He took his long fingers and ran them over the purple bruise on Ben's cheek.

"You need to tell him…"

Ray jumped and glared in the direction of the voice. Bob Fraser was sitting in the same worn leather chair in the corner that he occupied earlier in the day. His expression was the same as when Ray saw him in the bar.

"Go away, Bob. I didn't ask for your opinion."

"What is it with you young kids these days? Nobody wants advice."

Ray toed off his shoes and turned to glare once again at Bob. "You mind? Unless you want a show, I suggest you leave."

"You know what your problem is? You're scared. Scared of how he will react if he knows how you actually feel. Scared of what you will _become_ if you never tell him. You're lost."

Ray took in the sight of Ben sound asleep and turned his body to address Bob's ghost. His eyes were angry and dark and the lines around them were more prominent in his current angered state. He kept his voice low but it was filled with venom.

"Lost? You think _I'm_ lost? You're the one that's dead and won't go away. I think maybe _you're_ the one that's lost."

"Why is it so hard for you to tell him how you feel? You think he won't be understanding? My son is a very understanding man, sometimes too understanding. I tried to warn him about you. But he just won't listen."

"What do you mean _warn_ him?" Ray straightened his body and glanced from Bob to Ben and back to Bob's ghost as he sat casually in the recliner.

"This trip back to Chicago has you out of sorts. I tried to tell him you were homesick, but he refuses to listen. Maybe he's in denial, maybe you're in denial. Admit it, you're miserable up there."

"How dare you tell him that…" Ray stepped in Bob's direction, his finger pointing accusingly at the ghost. "You have no right..."

"It's true… _isn't it_? I think he is realizing it as well. Look on the bedside table…"

Ray turned his tired body towards the bed. Flickering yellow lights filled a Mason jar, covered with aluminum foil and secured with a worn rubber band. Tiny holes covered the surface of the makeshift lid. Ray made his way over to the bed and picked up the jar, tipping it in his hands to get a better view of the glowing bugs inside. His breath caught in his throat as Bob stood up from his resting place and approached Ray ever so slowly.

"My son loves you… _very much_. Some days I don't quite understand why." The elder Fraser laid a ghostly hand on Ray's shoulder. "He only wants you to be happy, and I can see plain as day, you're not. You have quite the poker face."

Water glistened in Ray's blue eyes as he continued to stare at the fireflies in his hands. "It's different up there, it's not better and it's not worse, it's…" Tears broke the dam of Ray's lower eyelids and cascaded freely down his smooth cheeks, breaking apart when they hit the scruff of whiskers on his lower jaw. "What made us great together ceased to exist when we crossed the border. It kills me a little more every day…" Ray snuffled as his nose began to run. He dislodged fresh tears from his eyes with the sleeve of his t-shirt. A small sob escaped his lips and he covered his mouth with one hand while clinging to the Mason jar with the other. "I wake up…" he spoke softly through broken sobs, "and know that I won't be able to work with him. I know that I won't be able to have his back… I won't be there to protect him if something goes wrong and I can't get that back and hard as I try… _I just can't make that feeling go away_."

Ray sat down softly on the edge of the bed, returning the fireflies to the bedside table. He ran his slender fingers down Ben's cheek once again. He repeated the gesture. Cupping his bruised cheek, he drew his thumb over Ben's eyebrow and smoothed it over the purple skin. He leaned forward and pressed a delicate kiss to Ben's temple. Another tear escaped as he pressed his warm lips to Ben's dry ones.

"_I'm so sorry, Ben_…" his voice cracked, barely above a whisper.

Ray Kowalski stood and walked past Bob Fraser's ghost… and fled into the dark night.


	7. Home

A strong sense of déjà vu enveloped Fraser as he opened one eye against the bright sunlight streaming in through the bedroom window. His head protested the intrusion of light and he squeezed both eyes closed against the lingering headache that sent him to bed early. He turned from the sunlight towards the center of the bed. With knowing fingers, he reached out to pull Ray closer to him. He could use a few moments of comfort from the man he loved. He fingers fell instead on smooth, cool blankets. He flattened out his palm and ran it across the blankets searching for any sign of Ray being in bed. There was none. Fraser bolted upright, his headache coming to the forefront of his brain with a vengeance. Forcing both eyes open, his gaze fell on the neatly made bed where Ray should have still been sleeping.

"Ray…" he called, a touch of fear coming out with his lover's name.

He scanned the room for any signs of Ray. His bag was still pushed neatly against the far wall, where Ben had moved it the night before.

"Maybe Ray had gone to replace the doughnuts the Dief and Liaison had eaten." Fraser told himself in an attempt at calming his nerves. "No need to over-react."

Pushing the blankets back and swinging his legs over the edge of the bed, Fraser stopped when he spotted the jar of fireflies. He noticed it had been moved. All of the elongated bugs were busy walking up the glass walls, eager to escape. Fraser knew Ray would have released the bugs if he had gotten up before him, but it didn't appear that Ray ever made it into bed.

Fraser wondered if his Rays even made it back from the ball game, but then decided that Stella would surely have come and woken him had there been any kind of trouble. Perplexed, the Mountie got dressed and went in search of the half-wolves. Both Diefenbaker and Liaison were nosing around in the kitchen, ignoring the dog food Fraser had left in a bowl for them. He rubbed each one behind the ears as he walked by them.

"Have either of you seen Ray this morning?" Fraser asked the two canines as they resumed sniffing around the pantry door in the kitchen. He pulled a glass from the cupboard and poured himself some orange juice. Dief looked up and let out a short bark, different than his usual cheerful sounding yip. Startled, Fraser turned and stared at the wolf.

"No, I assure you, Ray isn't going to leave you here for eating his doughnuts. Although it may be some time before he buys you anymore once we get home." Fraser returned the juice container to the fridge and leaned against the counter, trying to figure out where Ray could be. He wasn't on the couch or in the bathroom when he checked. Maybe he made the bed when he got up and Fraser was so tired that he slept through it.

Ben laughed at that thought. 'Ray make the bed on his own? Fat chance of that ever happening.' He had to bribe Ray to make the bed back home and that usually involved unmaking it later in the day. Fraser smiled at the numerous memories of Ray laying him down, covering his sturdy body with Ray's own slender one and then pulling the sheets and blankets up over their heads, effectively concealing them from the world around them.

"_See Ben, I know how to make a bed."_ Ray would whisper smugly in his ear.

"_You certainly do, Ray. Stellar job as always_." Fraser sighed with content. He was eager to find his partner and crawl back into bed with him and hold him close, perhaps make a few more memories.

Dief barked again, bringing the Mountie's attention back to the present. He nudged Fraser in the thigh and sat on his hind legs, staring at Ben.

"What do you mean _he_ _left_ us?" Fraser glanced around the kitchen for traces of Ray activity. Again, he found nothing to indicate the blond had ever come back from the ball game. No morning coffee cup, no doughnut crumbs littering the counter, no newspaper opened to the sports section folded semi-neatly on the table. It was as if Fraser inhabited the guest house by himself, well, save the two half-wolves. Liaison gave up investigating the door and joined Dief.

Fraser placed his forgotten glass of orange juice on the counter and pushed Liaison's inquisitive nose away from the glass and its contents.

"No, stay down," he warned the pup. Liaison sulked back to where Dief was still sitting patiently in front of Ben. "I think you two could use a trip outdoors, while I look for Ray."

Both wolves followed Fraser into the expansive yard. Fraser called for Ray again with no answering reply, except for a sharp bark from Diefenbaker.

"I heard you the first time Dief. I just don't understand." Fraser was trying to interpret what Dief meant. "Why would he leave? Where would he go without us? Are you sure you understood him correctly? You _are_ deaf…"

Dief stopped and gave Fraser a low growl.

"I'm sorry… I don't mean to undermine your understanding of the spoken language, but you do realize how absurd it sounds. Ray _wouldn't_ leave us." Fraser continued towards Vecchio's back door, muttering to himself. "He just wouldn't."

Fraser knocked twice on the back door and entered at the sound of Stella's cheerful morning greeting. The scents of a well-rounded breakfast invaded Fraser's nose and he fought down the overwhelming nausea of food combined with his uncertainty about Ray's where-abouts.

Vecchio sat at the kitchen table nursing a cup of very black coffee while rubbing his temples with the tips of his fingers. Without looking up, he held up one flattened palm in Fraser's direction.

"Don't even start with me, Benny. I was only matching Kowalski drink for drink. I hope his head is pounding just as bad as mine."

"Well, if you would kindly tell me _where_ he is, I will ask him for you." A slight tremor filled Fraser's voice as he tried to hide his growing concern for his partner.

"Well, if he's smart and _lucky_, he's still curled up under the blankets in bed." Vecchio turned his glare towards Stella who was chuckling while rinsing breakfast dishes. "My lovely wife here thought she would teach me some sort of lesson by _forcing_ me to get up and have breakfast with her."

"And what a delightful breakfast it was, Ben." Stella stepped close behind her husband and wrapped her arms around his chest. She leaned forward and placed her mouth near Ray's ear. "Ray here cooked me an omelet, squeezed me _fresh _orange juice, fried some bacon _and get this…" _Stella stood up and squeezed Ray's shoulders. "He baked some biscuits, _from scratch_. And I just wanted a bowl of cereal, but he insisted on doing all of that for me since he had such a great night out with Ray. Didn't you, hon?" She squeezed his shoulders again and went back to the dishes in the sink. "Help yourself, Ben. There is fresh coffee or tea in the canister by the stove. There's plenty there for you and Ray. My Ray was kind enough to cook for us all. You should send him out with your Ray more often."

"Enough Stella… I accepted your punishment with a little grace and dignity… no need to rub it in anymore." Vecchio cracked his neck and graciously received another dose of Advil for his pounding headache from his wife. "It was only the one time. How often are these two in town? Kowalski and I had a good time and after last night… I imagine neither one of us will be drinking anything other than coffee for a while."

"About Ray," Fraser interrupted the lover's spat between his two friends. "Have you seen him this morning?" Fraser inquired, a small amount of hope hanging in the air.

"What do you mean?" Vecchio's head spun around. He was suddenly focused.

"I mean, I can't _find_ him. There's no indication that he even came home."

"You lost Kowalski? How is that possible Benny?"

"Well, Diefenbaker keeps insisting that he's left us."

"_Shit…" _Vecchio stood up abruptly, pushing his chair backwards with some force.

"What? Do you know where he is?" Fraser was perplexed, growing more anxious with each passing minute.

"No… he was fine yesterday. We talked, we laughed, we shared stories and he was fine. A little homesick, _maybe_… but enough to _leave_ you? No way… Kowalski wouldn't do that to you."

"What makes you say he's homesick? What did he tell you?"

"Benny… maybe he just went out for doughnuts. The dogs did eat them all."

"Ray…_what_ did he say?" Determined blue eyes searched green one for answers.

Not wanting to break his friend's confidence, Ray had a hard time meeting Fraser's intense gaze. "Look, we got back late, we promised to make this a yearly tradition, just the two of us bonding over drinks, we said goodnight and he went inside."

"Ray… he _never_ came to bed. Was he drunk?"

"He might have been…" Ray admitted sheepishly.

"Might have been? Either he was or he wasn't."

"We both drank more than we probably should have but we hailed a cab and neither one of us drove." Vecchio glanced towards Stella. "Which reminds me, we need to go retrieve my car at some point today."

"Oh my God…" Fraser breathed in deeply, dropped his head forward and leaned heavily against the wooden chair in front of him. "You have to help me find him."

"Are you sure you aren't over reacting, Ben? Maybe Ray did just leave to get more doughnuts. You know how impulsive he can be. He sets his mind to something, he just goes and does it." Stella was trying to keep everyone optimistic but was failing miserably. Fraser had begun pacing and Vecchio had gone to retrieve the phone.

"That's what worries me, Stella," Fraser stopped and addressed the blond. "He _is_ impulsive. God, where could he have gone? His bags are still here, they weren't touched since yesterday. His wallet was still on the dresser."

"Did you know he has an American wallet Benny?" Vecchio asked his friend with a touch of amusement lingering on his face.

"That's hardly relevant at this particular moment, Ray."

"Well, for once, you are wrong, my friend." Ray walked by Fraser and squeezed his shoulder reassuringly.

"How's that?" Fraser turned to face his friend who was busy thumbing through the phone book.

Vecchio looked up and smiled. "Last night he had his Canadian wallet on him, said he forgot to swap them out when we left. Bartender wouldn't take any of his funny money."

"And that helps us how?" Stella forgot the dishes and joined the conversation.

"It means he wouldn't have any money for a cab, no money for a ticket anywhere, unless he had credit cards in his Canadian wallet. He couldn't have gone far."

"Well, then how did he buy doughnuts yesterday morning? If he left his other wallet here?" Stella inquired of her husband.

"I wondered that too yesterday after he told me he forgot it and he said that doughnut guy said it was on the house before he even attempted to pay. A welcome home kind of gift."

Fraser looked at Ray, a sick feeling washing over him and Vecchio read his expression clearly.

"A welcome _back _gift, Benny. Kowalski's home is in Canada with you now."

"What if that's not what he wants anymore?"

"Would you listen to yourself? We'll find him… _okay_?" Vecchio handed his friend the phone book and his phone. "You call the airports and train stations. I will call the station and some people I know."

"And I will call the hospitals, just to be sure." Stella offered Fraser a warm smile and hug. "We'll find him Ben."

After three hours of following dead end leads, there was still no word on Kowalski's where-abouts. It was as if he had vanished into thin air. Fraser had retreated to the guest house to clear his head and think. He asked himself how he had not seen that Ray was unhappy. He sat down on the bed and picked up the forgotten jar of lightening bugs.

"He does love you. You know that… right, Son?" Bob Fraser's voice broke the silence and Ben for once wasn't startled. He continued to turn the jar of fireflies in his hands.

"Then why would he leave? Why would he run away?" Ben turned to his father. "Why does everyone I love…_ leave?"_

"He's scared. Scared that he's losing a part of himself, not by being with you, no my dear boy… he loves you more than anything. He scared that living up in Canada away from everything that he knows, everything he is great at, is eating at his soul." Bob offered a small smile. "The Yank, the balding one, was right. Your Ray is homesick. Where did you go when you were homesick, Ben?"

Ben stared at his father's ghost. "You called him Ray."

"And you know where to find him. He's good for you, Ben."

Standing up, Ben placed the fireflies back on the bedside table and went to Ray's bag on the floor. Digging through it, he located the object he was looking for and stashed it securely in his jean's pocket. He grabbed Ray's American wallet off the dresser and placed it in his back pocket. Making his way through the house, Dief and Liaison followed close behind. Ben turned and faced them, his father standing in the doorway of the kitchen.

"Dad… will you watch your grandkids for a while?" Tossing a tennis ball towards his dad, Fraser grinned.

Fraser returned to the Vecchio home and told his friends he had a feeling he knew where Ray was and they would be back in a few hours. He_ knew_ where Ray was and he was going to bring him home, but he had a very important stop to make first.

Fraser carefully pushed open the already ajar door and stepped foot into his partner's old apartment… their old… _home_. He glanced around the empty living room and across the breakfast bar into the small kitchen. Ray was nowhere to be found. The land lady said she had let Ray in the night before. Their apartment had never been rented and was still sitting vacant. Fraser prayed his instincts were correct and Ray was still there, somewhere.

He turned his attention towards the bedroom and noted the slightly ajar door there as well.

"Ray…" he called with a hint of trepidation in his voice. He reached the door and pushed it open with the palm of his hand. Sitting there against the far edge of the wall where their bed used to rest, was Ray. His knees pulled up to his chest, elbows on his knees, hands splayed across his face. Fraser couldn't read his body language, he was so still. And then he heard the faint sob and saw the shoulders shake.

"I finally found a place your dad couldn't find me… _our bedroom_."

"Well… I was always the better tracker. He just would never admit it." Fraser shrugged his shoulders and stepped closer to his partner. "Ray…"

Kowalski cut him off. "Do you remember the first time I kissed you?" He removed his hands from his face and exposed his soul to Ben. His blood-shot eyes moist and zeroed in on the man before him. The man he loved with his whole being, the man he walked away from the night before.

"Yes." Fraser admitted and let his memories take him back in time. "I had just come over with a pizza as a sort of… _peace offering_. We had had a rather heated discussion earlier in the day about being _partners_ and what that meant and I had walked away before you could finish whatever it was you were saying. I had always found it rather difficult to trust anyone other than myself. You showed me that I could trust you. You told me I was stubborn, I didn't deny it. You pushed your fingers into my chest and told me I had some sort of death wish, that I never listen to anyone, especially you. And you were right. And then… _oh God, Ray_… you pushed me up against the kitchen wall and kissed me until I had to beg you to buddy-breathe some air back into me."

"We both needed buddy-breathing after that kiss." A small chuckle escaped Ray's mouth before he grew serious again. "I love kissing you, Ben."

"_Ray_… what's…"

"What about when I first told you I loved you?" The blond cut his partner off once again. "Do you remember that?"

"Of course." Fraser stepped further into the room. "It was a Thursday night. Weather forecasters had mentioned approaching storms all day, but you had a hunch about a case. We staked out recreational park in your car for ten hours. We apprehended the drug dealers, turned them over to the authorities, got in your car to head back into the city and it wouldn't start." Ben knuckle swiped his eye brow and his lips turned into a crooked smile. He tugged on his left ear, his face blushing. "The skies opened up and it rained harder than I had ever experienced in all my life. For many hours the rains fell and we were essentially stuck. We talked about work, your cases_… us. _And then the most beautiful sentence rolled so freely off your tongue."

Ben leaned up against the wall and slid down to sit beside his lover. "Ray, what's going on?"

"And our first time together?"

Taking his hand and turning Ray's face to meet his, Ben answered his partner. "It was that same night. First in your car, which I might add has not been the same since, and later in your bed… right here where we are sitting."

"All of those memories, Ben… _all of us_. They're here, they're in this apartment, they're in my car, they're at the station. Everything that I love about you is here. Working with you is one of those things and it's not _there_ and I'm lost up there without that. Our duet… what was so _great _about us together is gone."

"Ray, we have memories in Canada as well. But if you're not happy…"

"It's not that I'm not happy. I'm with you, I'm as happy as I can be… but…"

"But what? I don't understand?"

Ray stood abruptly and began pacing the empty room. His steps echoing against the bare walls. Throwing his arms out to either side he erupted. "I'm losing who I am up there. I'm a cop, I'm a detective, I detect things and I can't do that up there with you anymore. We were a great team, the best and I miss that and because of your stupid laws up there, I can't detect with you anymore and that's killing me. I have to send you off to work every day knowing that I won't have your back, that I have to rely on someone else to keep you safe. I hate giving up that part of us, I hate it and I can't get it back. I'm lost without you being my partner Ben. I'm not a fucking mechanic. I just do that because the people need my help and I'm good at it, but it's not what I'm great at. I'm great at _us… our duet."_ Ray shook his head and dropped his expressive arms. "Lousy time to drop this on you I know."

"Ray… I just… I just want you to be happy. Why didn't you say something before now if you were so upset?"

"I don't know. I was hoping one day it would just suddenly click and I wouldn't mind being the town mechanic. I don't mind that… I love helping the people up there. But Ben… _it's not me_… I need to work with you. I need our duet back. How do I get that back and not lose you?"

Fraser leaned his head against the wall and sighed, staring up at his lover. He opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by an all too familiar voice.

"May I offer you two some advice?" Bob Fraser's ghost stood in the doorway of their bedroom and stared at his boys. Ben groaned and Ray whipped his head around. Bob held up his hand to silence both men before they could speak. "I see you found him… you always were a better tracker than me, Son."

"Ha, he does admit it, Frase." Ray beamed at his partner. He went over to where Fraser was still seated on the floor and offered him his hand to help pull him to his feet. "Hear your dad out for once."

"I have a suggestion that maybe will help you both. Benton, your Ray needs to be a detective again. He needs to be able to do what he loves and he needs you to be a part of that, to form what he calls 'a duet' with you once again, a working partnership that extends outside of the home. You have _that 'duet'_ down just fine. A better duet than I ever had with your mother, but that's neither here nor there. And Ray, Ben needs the openness of the wilderness. City life just isn't for him… it's suffocates him, takes away a certain part of his soul. If you were just a regular couple, I would say that we have a stalemate on our hands. But you two are about partnership, and partners compromise."

"That doesn't help Bob…" Ray said defeated. He was hoping for a cure-all answer from the ghost.

"You're a detective son, use those detecting skills you claim to be so great at. Did you not receive a letter from your Lieutenant Welsh a few months back? Asking you to come back to work for him and to bring Ben with you?" Bob looked from Ray to his son, who stared in shock at his lover.

"You never told me."

"I wasn't going to leave you."

"Take the offer son… take Ben with you."

"You just said the city suffocates him." Ray was confused, Fraser even more.

"Who said anything about living in the city? You have a car don't you? Ben loves the cabin and he loves the wilderness, build a _home _outside of the city. Your own form of the Borderlands if you will." Bob smiled at his son and knew he had found the solution. "Use the money son."

Ray turned his head towards Ben, confused. "What money?"

"Absolutely not." Ben shook his head profusely.

"Benton Fraser, listen to me for once. Let something good come from my death. That money is just sitting in an account. You and I both know the truth, Son. Nothing is being gained from just letting it sit there. Use it to build you and Ray a home of your own. You love him, he loves you equally. Your home is together. If he can't be who he needs to be in Canada, but you can still be who you need to be in Chicago, build your home together here. There's enough money in that account by now to put down on a nice piece of land, with plenty of space so you're not suffocated by the city."

"Dad…" Fraser began but stopped. He looked at his partner and knew in his heart that his father was right. "Okay… we'll do it."

Fraser pulled Ray close and wrapped his arms around the blonde's neck. "Is that what you want? Is that what you need?"

Blue eyes searched bluer one for an answer to his own questions. "I need you, Ben… but yes, I need that as well. What about you?"

"Ray…" Fraser pulled his head forward and kissed him. When they broke for air, he whispered into his ear. "You are all I will ever need." He kissed him again then pressed their foreheads together and gave his lover a small content smile. I have something for you outside."

Pulling the door closed on their old home, Fraser and Ray walked down the steps and pushed the door open and stepped into the fresh, crisp mid-morning air. Parked in their old parking spot was Ray's beloved GTO.

"I thought maybe you would want to take it for a spin."

Ray pulled Ben into a fierce hug. "How did you know?"

"I had a hunch. Look, it may take a while, but if you want, we could drive it home, to Canada… get things in order up there, and then drive it back here, back home."

"I love you, you know that, right?" Ray asked his partner.

"Very much so. Let's go tell Ray and Stella the good news." Ben pulled Ray in for another kiss as his father faded in the background.

"You do realize your dad is going to expect a room of his own, right?"

"He wouldn't have it any other way. Come on… let's go get Ray and Stella and find the perfect place for our home."


End file.
